Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1887-03-31
EN- ROUTE TO TRIESTE.
Curious Scenery In Austria--Semi-Tr"pi
<nl Vegetation of tho Adriatic.

Curious Scenery In -Tropi-
cal Vegetation of tho Adriatic.
St. Peter IS scarcely more than twenty
five miles ~ tho crow f]ies from the shore OF
the Atlriatic Mt Trieste. But as far as rcscnl-
blancc or suggestion is concerned it might DO
Mt tho antiyNslcs Imagination can scarcely
conceive that u scmi-tropical sca shorc ms
dreamy az tint of tho htus eaters Hes so near
to haTclt wind swept hills, towering into
peaks that arc the aloniRation of dcsoation.
But though the region is curious, with Its
scoorcl out valleys and its submits ms bald
a. tho high Sierra, the district that you ira
verse in going II Trieste Is far more singular.
The circular valley gives first its distinguish
ing characteristic to the scenery.
| nm not in the secrctYof the biologists,
but. these valleys seem to he q repetition ON
larger or smaller scale OF the ,lcprcssions "
tho limestone districts Of tho western states,
called "sink holes" A great part of the re-
gion is made up of them. Sometimes they
have a diameter of lOV feet, sometimes of n
mile. In one or two eases the formation
br,oatlens out Into a circular valley several
miles in diameter, containing several villages.
They are generally. however, of moderate
dimensions, and their depth usually has
TIL sides are barren nearly to the bottom,
which is usually surrounded by circular
wall, within which may bc a patch OF grass
in summer, n vineyard or little crop OF
some cereal. The area incloscd may he n few
square yards OF several acres, but the nGSre'
gate of fertility compared with the aggre-
gate ofbarrcu and stony hillside indicates II
contest with nature which would appal even
the stout heart Of y farmer in northcrn New
Hampshire. Sometimes the form Of the tie
preston il slightly varied and there Is lever
ground which has received equally niGSardly
treatment from maturc, elsewhere and not far
distant so prodisal OF her gifts.
The road ,lcsccnls ut first almost impcr-
ccptibly Towns with Italian naics become
moro frequent. The aspect Of nature Srndu.
ally hrghtcns. There are vineyards OF good
size, orchards that begin to show the semi
tropical vegetation of tho Adrintic. There
arc hillsiies OIL which the work of aHorcsta
ton is evident. There are others in which
tho little farms arc laid out in long, narrow,
parall-logramS, like the stripes on our M
tional banner. But as one looks ctf across
tho barren tracts strewn with small bowld-
ers, piled up with rocky masses, or pierced
with points. edges, triaiiglcsS and fantastic
forms Of Mone, interspeIsed here and there
with oascs Of green pasture or casual cultiva-
ton the idea of unkind, sullcn, unrclrnting
nature endeavoring to drive man from off its
face ever presses painfully upon his spirit,
What paradise this must have been for tho
men of the stone age, with the material for.
tools. weapons and domestic utensils 50 pl'n-
tiful and cheap But VIII" were not sava-
yes camo here and toie,l uirl ,elvel i'll the
very dawn of antiquity, and later, when
Rolnc absorbed Italy, when its Gallcys plowcd
the Adriatc and its cities and villages dotted
its brown shores, its efFcrvescent life dubbed
ND and frothcl over this rim of hills on to
this plateau that have cndeavorcl to de
scribe.-Au,tria Cor. San Francisco Chroni.
rlo